Perfect Promise

Charlie

I felt terrible, just plain terrible.

Rudy stayed with me, though. He caressed my hair and assured me that we could go on our date another day. I wanted to protest, but I was too tired and Noah had told me not to talk.

I was so exhausted, I kept drifting in and out of sleep. I wanted to be there, in the moment with Rudy, or at least enjoying my time in England, but I couldn’t. It was frustrating.

Later in the evening, I awoke to Maia, Amber, and Jordan sitting on my bed. I smiled weakly at them. The sleep had helped a bit, so I even managed to sit up.

“Good morning Charlie,” Jordan smiled at me.

“Do you think you’re feeling up to going on your date?” Amber asked.

I shrugged.

“Let’s not push it,” Maia piped in.

“But it’s her first date! WIth Rudy of all people!” Jordan argued on my behalf.

“Okay, listen up. It’s six-thirty. If Charlie can shower in fifteen minutes, we can get the rest ready for her. This can work,” Amber suggested.

Without so much as a second thought, I pushed myself out of bed and dragged myself into the shower. I was thankful that I did. The shower felt refreshing. It made me feel like I was ready to actually do something more than staying in bed. It made feel like I could go on this date and not feel awful.

Once I finished, I emerged from my bathroom in a towel to see each of my friends holding up a different outfit. I chose the one Maia was holding: a sleek black mini skirt with a white long-sleeved blouse, lined with black, with bows on each of the sleeves.

Noah finally joined us as I was getting dressed. Even with her hair in a messy bun, she looked stunning. Her outfit was beautiful. I could tell it was new. While I couldn’t compliment her with words, I gave her a thumbs up and a huge smile.

“Thanks, Charlie,” Noah laughed as she closed the door, “You look great, too.”

I smiled bigger to thank her.

Noah picked up a black bow that matched my outfit perfectly. She went to put it in my hair, but Maia swatted her hand away from my head.

“Come on, Charlie, I’ll curl your hair,” Maia said, “Jordan, go straighten Noah’s.”

As Maia finished up with my hair, Amber handed me more Tylenol. I took it graciously. While the shower helped, I definitely needed the medication to keep going. As I swallowed the pills with a gulp, Jordan finished with Noah’s hair. Amber hurried over and carefully added a beanie on Noah’s head for style. She definitely looked ready for her date. I hoped I looked just as good as she did.

Gavyn and Rudy walked towards us as Noah and I left my bedroom. I could tell Maia, Amber, and Jordan were eavesdropping behind my door, but I didn’t care. All I could care about were the butterflies in my stomach.

The four of us got into a shiny black limo and made our way to a restaurant. Rudy insisted on keeping the destination a surprise. I didn’t really care where we were going, though, as long as there was food and my favourite people.

Rudy held the door of the limo open for us while Gavyn hurried out the other side and held the door of the restaurant open. Inside, there were many photographers who figured out we were coming, taking photos of us. All the bright lights were giving me another headache, but I tried to ignore it and have  a nice time. Gavyn warned the photographers that if they weren’t gone in ten minutes, he would get the restaurant staff to kick them out. Thankfully, they listened and left as we ordered our food. 

Dinner was amazing. I had ordered chicken, which was always a reliable choice, as it never disappointed me. What made it so magical, of course, was the fact that I was actually on a real date. I had never been asked on a date before, let alone by someone as amazing as Rudy. I was so nervous, I hardly even spoke to him. I just giggled as he told me stories about his daily life. It was all I could ask for.

My headache, though, was getting worse. It became more and more difficult to ignore. By the end of the meal, Noah was able to notice I was no longer acting like myself. It was difficult to pay attention to what Rudy was saying. Even smiling at him was a challenge. Still, I didn’t want this date to end too soon.

As Gavyn and Rudy were paying the bills, Noah announced we had to go to the ladies’ room. She practically dragged me to the bathroom. While I struggled, I managed to keep up with her pace. I hoped she wouldn’t force me to go back to the mansion.